Pipe-clamp



w. BUEKER.

PIPE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2| I919.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

hwy/aw 29a e f' all'oudt g UNITED STATES WILLIAM BUEKER, OF DEWEY, OKLAHOMA.

PIPE-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed .Tune 21, 1919. Serial No. 305,849.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM BUEKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dewey, in the county of Washington and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe- Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved pipe clamp especially designed to hold well tubes, subsequent to the removal of the pump, whereby the tube may be alternately lifted and engaged by the clamp to support it in adjusted position until a new grip for the lifting mechanism is obtained.

Another object is the provision of a clamp consisting essentially of two hinged sections carrying the clamping jaws and capable of swift and convenient separation to facilitate insertion or removal of the tube.

With these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds this invention comprises the novel features of construction, accompanied by elements and by arrangement of parts which will be more fully described in the following specification and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the improved clamp,

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view therethrough,

Fig. 3 represents a central transverse sectional View through the clamp illustrating the interior of the detachable clamping jaws in detail,

Fig. 4 represents a transverse sectional view through the clamp in the plane of one of the adjusting cams,

Fig. 5 represents a detail perspective of one terminal of the clamp illustrating the latch for locking the sections against separation, and

Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of one of the projectable clamping jaws re moved from the sectional base.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 8 indicates the companion sections of a two part base plate of relatively narrow elongated formation connected at one terminal by a hinge 9 whereby the sections may be readily separated to facilitate insertion or removal of a pump tube. The terminal of one of the sections 8 opposite the hinge 9 is pivotally connected at 10 with a latch .11 having a recess terminal engageable with a longitudinally projecting pin 12 of the adjacent terminal of the other section 8 whereby the sections may be rigidly fastened together to provide a rigid supporting base for the clamp when in use.

Guide strips 13 are secured adjacent the opposed longitudinal edges of the base sections and are provided along their inner edges with uide flanges 1 1 receiving the fiat body portions 15 of the adjustable clamping elements which are movably supported upon the sectional base upon opposite sides of the tube receiving opening 16 therein.

The portions of the base sections lying upon opposite sides of the opening 16 are formed with registering recesses 17 receiving pivot-ed cams 18 supported upon pivot pins 19 secured to the respective sections 7. The cams are movable in longitudinal slots 20 formed medially of the body members 15 whereby during oscillatory movement of the cams the body members and clamping jaws carried thereby are moved longitudinally of the base in one direction or the other, according to the direction of movement of the cam.

The adjacent terminals of the body plate are provided with parallel upright jaw 21 connected with the body members by integral reinforcing ribs 22 and arranged to 00- act with a well tube or other objects projecting through the openings 16 in the sectional base. Each jaw is provided with parallel dovetail grooves 23 receiving correspondingly shaped longitudinal ribs 24 formed upon the detachable aws 25, the inner sur' faces of which are curved to substantially conform to the contour of a tube or other cylindrical object and are provided with transverse serrations designed to increase the gripping efficiency of the detachable jaws and effectively prevent the tube from slipping therethrough.

In order to maintain the jaws in clamped relation to the tube, subsequent to the proper adjustment of the body plates 15, the cams 18 are provided with integral extensions or pawls 26 selectively engageable with a series of shoulders 28 formed upon spring retaining members 27 secured to the upright aws 21 between the ribs 22 and normally maintained at their free ends in spaced relation to the upright jaws by their inherent resiliency whereby the springs may be thrust inwardly to disengage the terminals of the pawls therefrom and to release the cams 18 to permit of the separation of the jaws and the consequent adjustment of the tube there through. The extensions or pawls 26 constitute handles facilitating adjustment of the cams and consequently the clamping elements.

By providing the spring retaining members with two shoulders 28 the cams 18 may be locked in various adjusted positions permittin'g'various adjustments of the clamping jaws whereby tubes of varying diameters may be effectively gripped.

In operation the base is mounted upon the platform of a well and subsequent to the removal of the pump, the base sections are separated, by releasing the latch member 11,

thus facilitating the insertion of the pump tube between the jaws 25. The base sections are subsequently locked'in assembled position and the jaws are moved into clamping relationfwith the tube by proper adjustment of the cams 18, the latter being effectively looked subsequent to adjust ment by engagement of the pawls 26 with r the retaining springs 27. The lifting mechanism which is attached to a preferred type of grab hook 30 is readjusted to obtain a new grip upon the tube and by swinging the pawls 26 outwardly the jaws are re leased from the tube permitting the latter to be elevated to the extent of the scope of the lifting mechanism. The jaws are again moved into clamping relation with the tube, the lifting mechanism readjusted and these operations repeated until the' tube is en tirely withdrawn from the well. Stop fingers '31 are fastened to the base, extend inwardly across the plates 15 and are engageable by the cams 18, to limit the movement of the latter. One of the stop fingers is secured to each base section 8 and is engaged with the cam 18 mounted on the pivot pin 19 'earried by said section, whereby one cam and the clamping element associated therewith are maintained'in position upon each section 8 as said sections are swung apart on the hinge 9.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A pipe clamp comprising companion clamping members, a base therefor, pivoted cams carried by the base and operating against the clamping elements to move the latter into engaging position, extensions carried by the cams, and means carried by the clamping elements coacting with the extensions to locl: the clamping elements in adjusted position.

'2. 'A pipe clamp including a base, adjust-- able clamping elements supported thereon, said clamping elements including body plates, and upright jaws carried by the adjacent terminals thereof, pivoted cams engaging and operating the clamping elements, pawls carried by the cams and spring members carried by the clamplng members engageable with the pawls to lock the latter in various adjusted positions to effect various adjustments of the clamping elements.

In testimony whereof, I my signature hereto.

WILLIAM BUEKER, 

